It was just a few months ago that talk of a new Neo Geo handheld game player surfaced. Now, we can confirm it will.

Dubbed the Neo Geo X, the upcoming portable won't attempt to compete with 3D features in the Nintendo 3DS or the PlayStation Vita's horsepower. Instead, the device will give old-school gamers the chance to play some of their favorite Neo Geo classics while on-the-go.

According to Tommo and Blaze, the companies that will be distributing the device in the U.S. and Europe, respectively, it'll come with a 3.5-inch LCD and stereo speakers. The device comes with a single thumbstick and four action buttons to the right of the display, as well as an SD card expansion slot. SNK Playmore, which owns the Neo Geo trademark, will have its logo emblazoned on the front of the black device.

Neo Geo X's launch comes more than 20 years after the first Neo Geo AES console launched. That device, which shipped with a $650 price tag, had trouble gaining traction, and was followed in 1994 by the similarly ill-fated Neo Geo CD. Throughout the years, SNK has tried to reignite the Neo Geo name, but has generally failed. Even Neo Geo classic titles available in Sony's PlayStation Store have been largely ignored by users.

The Neo Geo X is slated to hit store shelves in the second quarter. The device's pricing and release date will be announced at a later time.

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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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